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The Fall of Arthas and his Army.
The Fall of the Scourge officially began with the Battle for Light's Hope Chapel, when the mightiest of the Lich King's champions, the Death Knights of Acherus, defected from Arthas' control. Although fighting in the Plaguelands had been raging on and off for several years, the war for Northrend officially began when the dread Citadel of Acherus arrived above the Scarlet Crusade's last stronghold. Adventurers in service to the Argent Dawn had fought with the undead many times, but, even with all of their planning, all of their skill and hard work, nothing could prepare them for the force of the assault that the Lich King brought to bear against them. The Last Stand of the Scarlet Crusade In the Eastern Plaguelands, south of the Scarlet City of Tyr's Hand there existed a pair of prosperous towns that had remained remarkably untouched by the plague and its corrupting influence. This so-called "Scarlet Enclave" knew a time of peace, under the leadership of High General Brigitte Abbendis. However, the safety of the enclave was not to last, for the dread citadel of Naxxramas withdrew from the plaguelands and returned to Northrend, luring the Crusade into a false sense of security. With that, the terrible necropolis of Acherus, the Ebon Hold appeared in the skies above the enclave. It was then that the Lich King ordered the newly raised Death Knights of Acherus to destroy his enemies. Under the leadership of Darion Mograine, the fallen son of the former Ashbringer, Alexandros Mograine, the Death Knights established a foothold at Death's Breach. From there, the Scourge forces proceeded to engage the Scarlet defenders. Confronted with this threat, the zealous crusaders promptly began to evacuate as many civilians and supplies as possible in an attempt to realize Abbendis' vision of an event known as the "Crimson Dawn". The Scourge's champions broke upon the defenders of Havenshire and launched a deadly assault on the Scarlet Fleet stationed there, devestating hundreds of its troops. With the first line crippled, waves of ghouls and geists attacked the next target at New Avalon. Rallying against the Lich King's horrid troops, the Crusaders fought a desperate battle to hold the line long enough for the survivors to escape. However, infiltrating the frontlines, the Death Knights bore upon the town's hall and killed Mayor Quimby and his entire retinue. The Scarlet hold, which had never before known intruders, came under attack as well. Despite the fevrent efforts of the Paladin, Scarlet Commander Rodrick, and the Light-driven powers of the High Inquisitor Valroth, the hold fell and was emptied of defenders. Not long after, the Scourge began setting up plague cauldrons and even launched an attack on the Chapel of the Crimson Flame, where they discovered and promptly executed a group of Argent Dawn prisoners. Around this point, word had spread of Scourge forces assaulting the enclave, and so the twin armies of Hearthglen and Tirisfal began their march to reinforce General Abbendis' troops. Their commander, Galvar Pureblood was confident of victory, believing that if surrounded by a double front, the Scourge's army would collapse under the pressure of the remaining Scarlets and their reinforcements. The Dark Brotherhood, a trio of Death Knights under the command of Orbaz Bloodbane also oversaw the Scourge's efforts to assassinate the Scarlet courier, Galvar's messenger, who had been sent ahead of the main body of the bulk of the Scarlet armies. With that, a lone Death Knight ventured in disguise, beyond the lines of the Crusade's elite defenders and delivered Galvar's message. General Abbendis, deeming the Plaguelands irrevocably lost, declared that the Scarlet Crusade was no more and that the time of the Scarlet Onslaught had come. She then ordered the "courier" to return to High Commander Pureblood and to tell him to cease their march and to set sail for Northrend, taking half of the Fleet with her to meet the Scourge's army on the frozen continent. The message never reached High Commander Pureblood. With half of the Scarlet forces gone, the Scourge wheeled around and faced the newcomers streaming in from other fronts. The savage and bloody fighting that followed was some of the worst in the war- Lines of ghouls fell before the advancing crusaders, while many Death Knights were slaughtered by the vicious ballistas and elite troops. The Lich King himself then took to Death's Breach where he sent waves of other champions on the backs of Frost Wyrms to smash the remaining living forces. The assault upon the enemy lines that followed was of epic proportions, and many hundreds of Crusaders fell before the undead dragon's. Declaring victory over the greatest threat in the Plaguelands, the Lich King directed Mograine and his forces to attack the final bastion of hope in the cursed lands: Light's Hope Chapel, the main base of the Argent Dawn. The attack was huge- Ten thousand Undead warriors, ten Flesh Behemoths, hundreds of Death Knights. At the front of the army were the four Generals of the Lich King: Darion Mograine with the Corrupted Ashbringer, Thassarian, Koltira Deathweaver and Orbaz Bloodbane. Mograine gave a short speech, declaring their inevitable victory over the Argent Dawn. However, forewarned or perhaps forseeing the attack, Lord Maxwell Tyrosus, leader of the Dawn had brought in over three hundred defenders of the Light- Ready to meet the Scourge in what seemed like a final stand. The battle was joined: No quarter asked and none given. While the Death Knights of Acherus were strong and hardy, the defenders of the Chapel stood upon holy ground, which gave them a much needed advantage. Just as it seemed as though the Scourge's warriors might triumph, Tirion Fordring, one of the last of the Silver Hand arrived at the battlefield. Panicking, Orbaz Bloodbane ordered a retreat, disobeying Mograine's order to stand down. Those Scourge troops who did not flee or surrender were promptly exterminated to the last by the defenders. What remained of the Scourge's mightiest army was little more than a ragtag group of survivors now submitting before the forces of Light. Lambasting Darion for his foolishness, Tirion stated that the Scourge's master had sent his own warriors to meet their doom, knowing full well that the battle would end in failure. It was then that fate intervened; the spirit of the Ashbringer, Alexandros, Darion's father appeared in bright light. Reminiscing his past, Darion was freed from the Lich King's control by his father's soul. Not long after the battle's conclusion however, the Lich King himself appeared upon the chapel's ground and declared before all present that he'd indeed sent his own servants on a suicide mission- That their lives were nothing to him, that he felt nothing at all for their deaths, all simply to lure out Tirion Fordring. Confronted with this, an enraged Darion attacked his former master, only to be swatted aside. Laughing, the Lich King attempted to destroy Fordring and the remaining defenders with a dark spell. Yet Darion remembered his father's final words to him; that this day was not his to wield the Ashbringer. With the last ounce of his strength, the former Scourge commander tossed the Corrupted weapon to Tirion before collapsing. Rising to his feet with renewed strength, and glowing brilliantly with Light, Tirion's power purified the weapon and returned it to its previous state, much to the shock and horror of the Lich King. With that, the Paladin leapt forth and struck the master of the Scourge with one mighty blow, driving him back. Knowing even he did not stand a chance, the Lich King taunted Fordring by saying their next encounter would not be on holy ground before fleeing back to Northrend, angry and empty handed. Healing Darion, Tirion made a speech to all present of their mission, stating that the Lich King had to be brought to justice for his crimes and that the world would one day be free of his tyranny. Calling for a union of the Argent Dawn and the Knights of the Silver Hand, Tirion passionately announced the coming of the Argent Crusade, and that Arthas would fall. Rising to his feet, Mograine also pledged his newly formed Knights of the Ebon Blade to the cause of defeating their former master and achieving vengeance. With that, Darion opened a portal to Acherus, where under his leadership the rebellious Death Knights crushed the Scourge's loyalists, retaking the whole of their keep for use as a base for their order. Northrend The newly formed Argent Crusade set off for Northrend immediately, intending to take the fight to the Lich King himself; knowing the enemy far outnumbered their own forces, the Light's champions formed a strategy to unite the Alliance and Horde while targeting the Scourge's leaders. They did not have long to wait, for indeed, the Scourge launched massive assaults against the capitals of both factions in a surprise attack to disrupt their war efforts before they could begin. Frost Wyrms, Abominations and plagued victims were sent as part of the attacks, meant to cause as much damage as possible, while emissaries of the Lich King brought their master's message ordering each faction to surrender. However, neither side gave in, for indeed- the attacks were doomed before they began. The whole operation was a feint, meant to lure powerful heroes to Northrend in a reflection of Arthas' journey. Further, the strength of the Alliance, coupled with its own vast numbers and technological advancements, also spurned on under the rigorous leadership of Varian Wrynn meant the heroes of Stormwind fought off the attack with ample firepower, perseverence and holy power. In Orgrimmar, the sheer brute strength of the Horde meant the Scourge's assault was likewise repelled. Not long after these victories, each faction called upon their mighty fleets to set sail to Northrend and establish bases upon the frozen continent. At Valgarde, the Alliance found its long lost comrades- The First Legion, consisting of the five thousand warriors who Arthas had abandoned several years previous. Their intimate knowledge of the terrain and longstanding experience in fighting the Scourge meant that the heroes of the Alliance had a distinct advantage. On the other side of the frozen continent, the Horde built Warsong Hold, while the Forsaken constructed Vengeance landing for a viable supply line. Given that they had only just arrived and had no such outposts on Northrend, it became clear that the Horde was behind in the race to secure the frozen roof of the world. Soon into the war, the Scourge began besieging each base in an attempt to probe and weaken resistance amongst their enemies. Cult of the Damned members took up residence in each side, slowly working to undermine them while encouraging the factions to fight against each other rather than the true threat of the undead. It was not to be, however for the campaigns across the frozen continent were many and met with varying degrees of success. In the Dragonblight, each found itself all too capable of finding additional support- The Tauren made contact with their long lost cousins, the Taunka, while the Dwarves of Ironforge found that the thought dead Muradin Bronzebeard was actually alive and well. Over Northrend, the mage-city of Dalaran appeared, having been reconstructed and offered sanctuary for both sides to call home. Under the Silver Covenant, the remaining High Elves pledged themselves to the Alliance, while the Sunreavers sought the aid of the Horde to help in the Nexus War against Malygos and his Blue Dragonflight. By the middle of the year, the focus of the fighting had shifted directly into engaging with the Lich King. In the Dragonblight, Highlord Bolvar Fordragon formed a truce with the Horde commander, Saurfang the Younger and together, they launched an attack against the Wrathgate. Taunting Arthas, the two faced off with the master of the Scourge. He promptly killed Saurfang with one blow and was about to battle the Highlord when the Forsaken under Apothecary Putress intervened. Using the "new plague" that they had engineered, the Forsaken killed indiscriminately, injuring the Lich King and killing many of their own 'allies', along with several Alliance soldiers. Outraged at this development, Varian Wrynn, King of Stormwind declared war against the Horde before launching an attack on the Undercity, intending to reclaim it for the Alliance. Thrall, Warchief of the Horde, who had fought hard to avert war with the Alliance was determined to defeat Putress and bring the treacherous Dreadlord Varimathras to justice. The two sides clashed and after Putress' death and the Dreadlord's defeat, prepared to fight each other, but were stopped by the timely intervention of Lady Jaina Proudmoore. Seeing the war had entered into a new stage where former allies had become enemies once again, the Argent Crusade and Death Knights took up the main focus of the fight with the Scourge, launching attacks into Icecrown Glacier, intent on breaking down the gates of the Lich King's own fortress. Further Campaigns The Scarlet Onslaught, which had spent months at sea soon arrived and established a base in the Dragonblight, determined to bring down the Scourge where they had failed in the Plaguelands. However, Ebon Blade Death knights made a shocking discovery- That the Dreadlord Mal'Ganis, long thought deceased by Arthas' hand when he took up Frostmourne was still alive and in the guise of Grand Admiral Barean Westwind. Defending against the fanatical crusaders, the Ebon Blade struck against the Demon Lord's stronghold and defeated him, yet, the Dreadlord escaped after a lengthy battle- Declaring that he would not be stopped so easily. Attacks against the Scourge were soon stepped up and shifted the focus of the fighting away from clashing armies towards targeting the undead leaders themselves, particularly the Necromancers. In Icecrown, Acherus' intended replacement, Malkryss the Vile Hold was cleansed of its defenders by the Ebon Blade, its own leader Orbaz Bloodbane killed in personal combat with Darion Mograine. Many hundreds of Death Knights who had remained loyal to the Lich King were killed during this affair - and Arthas, who had spent much time and resources in building Malkyriss - intending that it one day replace Acherus, was angrily forced to cancel the project entirely. In Zul'Drak, a troll uprising was found to be the work of the Cult of the Damned and their insurrection was suppressed with the death of Drakuru - the last of his forces destroyed after many days of fighting with the local Argent garrison. After this, the death of Malygos and the end of the Nexus War meant that Dalaran could now focus its efforts into stopping the Lich King. Yet the Dwarf explorer, Brann Bronzebeard made a shocking discovery at the ancient Titan City of Ulduar. Where once, an Old One lay sleeping beneath the surface, the ancient menace had awoken and now had begun spreading its terrible threat- The evil creature, Yogg-Sarron made clear via its maddening whispers that it had intended to reclaim the world that it had once ruled. Brave heroes ventured into Ulduar and battled with the iron lords and their dark masters, discovering many ancient secrets, including the origins of Humanity in the form of the Vry'kul. However, given that the threat of Yogg-Sarron was too great to ignore, the heroes fought a great and desperate battle against the creature before the beast raised its very head from its prison. In what some would call the most terrible battle ever fought, the heroes finally laid the Old One down, destroying Yogg-Sarron utterly. Freed from this threat, an expedition into Azjol-Nerub was planned and put into motion. Again, the minions of the Old Ones were involved, yet deep in the ancient Spider-City, the heroes of Azeroth slew the Scourge commander Anu'barak and wiped out much of his undead horde. Icecrown Because of the heavy Scourge presence and the danger of a frontal assault against the lines of defense protecting Icecrown Citadel, the forces of the Alliance and Horde bypassed the many fortifications via gunships. The Argent Crusade on the other hand, opted for a more direct approach by besieging the fortress of Scourgeholme. In what history would call the Battle for Crusaders Pinnacle, the crusaders fought off an attack by the Scourge at the Argent Vanguard, and drove deep into the Scourge's home territory, planting a blessed banner upon a pile of skulls, claiming the territory. With that, the construction of Justice Keep soon began. It was not long after this that the Alliance undertook a carefully planned operation against the Broken Front, but when the offensive was underway, they were attacked by a Horde raiding party in an ambush, leaving both sides open to the Scourge. Argent agents managed to partially salvage some of the lost troops and supplies, but the harsh weather meant that the majority of the dead had to be left where they lay. To compensate for this loss, the Knights of the Ebon Blade launched an attack against the Shadow Vault, where their agents managed to eliminate most of the Scourge presence in less than a day and repurposed the undead's war machines into use for the construction of their own base. Armed with victory, the Death Knights proceeded to attack Njorndar Village, a heavily fortified Vrykul town, and played a decisive role in earning the respect of the Vrykul at Valhalas, an act which resulted in the death of the Blood Prince Sandoval. In addition, Alliance forces were able to uncover the presence of the Wolfcult, led by the spirit of the fallen Archmage Arugal, who was using his Worgen to fight in service to the Lich King. The successes of the allied forces would almost amount to nothing had Arugal been allowed to complete the plan of creating an army of Worgen to fight for Arthas. Fortunately, such plans were halted when the fallen Archmage's spirit was vanquished by adventurers after storming his keep at Shadowfang tower. It was not long after this that the frozen heart of Arthas was discovered beneath Icecrown, in the Forgotten Depths. After a series of attacks against the heavy undead presence in Icecrown, Tirion Fording and a group of disguised Crusaders made their way into the Cathedral of Darkness where they had a confrontation with the Lich King himself. Fordring, who previously believed the frozen heart could be used to redeem Arthas, discovered that such a thing was impossible. With that, he then proceeded to destroy the organ with the Ashbringer, killing High Invoker Basaleph and seriously injuring the Lich King. It was the timely arrival of Darion Mograine and a contingent of Death Knights that saved the outnumbered Crusaders. Darion and his warriors slaughtered the majority of the cultists and teleported out just before the Lich King could retaliate. Not long after this endeavor, the Argent Tournament officially began. Later Battles To compensate for the delay at the front, many commanders shifted their attention towards eliminating as many Scourge ground troops as possible in preperation for the final attack on Icecrown. Utgarde Keep, long the home of the sleeping Vrykul was besieged and many of its forces destroyed in what could only be called a flawless victory- the death of King Ymiron further meant that the Vrykul themselves were left without a leader. His Dragonflayer clan would continue their operations to try to tame dragons for the war effort, but the overall damage to the ancient race was still significant. Further battles across the world were fought- including several attacks against the Scourge's only outpost in Kalimdor at Razorfen Downs. Araj the Summoner, a powerful Lich in command was slain during the attack and all of his undead quillboar minions were destroyed. In the Ghostlands, all four of Dar'khan Drathir's lieutenants were slain by agents of the Horde, while the evil betrayer himself was defeated by Blood elves. Soon after, much of the Scourge's remaining presence in Quel'danas was destroyed by forces of the Burning Legion as retaliation for their defeat at the Dragonblight. Back in Northrend, Thel'zan the Duskbringer, formerly known as Inigo Montoy, a betrayer to the Argent Dawn was defeated by Alliance agents as he attempted to carry out a massive assault against Wintergarde Keep. Further Scourge assaults in Borean Tundra saw many on both sides slain, and to this end, the forces of the Alliance and the Horde struck a temporary truce to take the fight to Naxxanar. Tharassian and Koltira Deathweaver saw action against the powers of Blood Prince Valanar of the San'layn. His death and the cleansing of Naxxanar meant the end of the Scourge presence in the Tundra, but prompted an assault against Sholazar Basin. Both Oracles and members of the Frenzyheart tribe fought against this new threat at the Avalanche. As the undead streamed in across the ruined pylon, an Avatar of a daughter of the Titans, Freya tasked adventurers with bombing runs against the Lich King's forces. Though this effort would continue on, the deaths of the Overlords commanding the assault meant only the undead had been only delayed. Nevertheless, over 200 Scourge troops were destroyed in a devestating assault, temporarily halting the invading forces in the north. The Ebon Blade mounted an attack against the fleshwerks in Icecrown, slaying its overseers and putting a halt to the production of Abominations, but fighting continued throughout the region regardless of their advance. The Argent Tournament had gone on virtually unmolested during this period, but soon into the war's second year, the Scourge brought a spy to the games, known only as the Black Knight who had claimed to be a contender, but was given orders by the Lich King to kill as many competitors as possible. To put a stop to the Black Knight was summarily confronted, exposed and killed. Undeterred by this failure, the Lich King sent a large force of cultists led by a Frost Wyrm named Chillmaw to assault the Tournament grounds in an attempt to level its structures and put a halt to the anti-Scourge operations there. Eadric the Pure, a paladin in service to the Argent Crusade led the effort to stop this attack, and by the end of the battle, Chillmaw had been destroyed and several of the Cultists were slain in battle. Further efforts to root out and destroy the members of the Cult of the Damned continued wth varying success. For additional preperation for the attack against Icecrown Citadel, the Grand champions of each of the Alliance cities sent out a champion of their own to retrieve a powerful weapon from the Maiden of Ashwood Lake. After retrieving the weapon, and besting over 46 of the Scourge's minions in combat over a long period, the hero was able to defeat the Horde's own champion and claim great glory for their home city. Low intensity fighting continued for many more weeks as the Scourge continued to attack the Tournament. Yet, no matter how many troops were thrown into the fight, no matter how fast the undead could be raised to replace their fallen, not one of the attacks succeeded. The Tournament Continues After besting many of the challenges that Highlord Fordring had set, including wildlife from the icy continent itself, the leader of the Argent Crusade proclaimed that the champions of the Tournament would soon march with him against the Lich King and destroy him. Just then, a portal opened in the tournament grounds, and through which stepped Arthas himself. Taunting Fordring, the Lich King stated that the Nerubians had built an empire underneath the ground where the Crusaders had built their structures. With that, he proceeded to destroy much of the ground and sent the champions plummeting into the caverns where a resurrected Anu'barak awaited. Now further augmented by the Lich King's awesome power, the undead Nerubian challenged the heroes to battle; a lengthy skirmish erupted, during which the former King of Azjol-Nerub displayed even greater strength, endurance and power than in his previous form. However, through repeated attacks, ultimately, An'ubarak fell once more. Congratulating the heroes on their great effort, Tirion stated that their victory was a sure sign of the inevitable triumph over the evil they were fighting against. The Final Crusade When the tournament had finally concluded, and the Ashen Verdict formed and made ready for the great battle, Highlord Fordring commanded the assault against the fortress' gates- Smashing them down with a battering ram. The Allied forces then rushed into the Citadel, engaging the Scourge's last defense: What few undead remained within the entrance to the fortress were quickly eradicated- The Light's champions spreading through the wings of the Citadel to engage the remaining defenders, and to cripple the Scourge's operations. First and foremost was the Forge of Souls, where the Verdict's forces destroyed the Soul-Grinders, halting the Scourge's production of new creatures, eventually defeating the Devourer of Souls itself. The next wing to fall was the Pit of Saron, where captured enemy fighters and slaves would mine for the vile substance, beaten by word and whip until their oppression became unbearable, the remaining slaves revolted under the leadership of Martin Victus and Gorkun Ironskull. Joined by the heroes assaulting the fortress the prisoners were at last freed to fight against their oppressors. When the heroes Jaina Proudmoore and Sylvanas Windrunner confronted Krick and Ick one of whom surrendered and betrayed the location of their master's weapon: Frostmourne, within the next wing- the Halls of Reflection. Scourgelord Tyrannus, overseer of the oprerations within the Pit, then answered this betrayal by strangling Krick to death and fleeing. The heroes pursued and subsequently vanquished his bodyguard, a small army of Vrykul and Skeletons. Not long after, the Scourgelord himself fell before the adventurers. The slaves would die free men, for Sindragosa, the Queen of the Frostbrood strafed over their position and bombard them with beams of ice. Nevertheless, the heroes escaped into the next wing- the Halls of Reflection, where Frostmourne awaited them. With their magic, the leader of the group communed with the spirit of the fallen champion Uther the Lightbringer. The great Paladin warned that the Lich King could only be destroyed at the place where he had been created- Atop the citadel at the Frozen Throne. The Lightbringer also foretold that should the Lich King be defeated, another would have to replace him as master of the Scourge, lest the undead run rampant across the world, unchecked. At that moment, the Lich King appeared, banished Uther's spirit back within Frostmourne and retrieved his weapon. With it, he summoned his lieutenants, Falric and Marwyn to deal with the intruders. Shortly after dispatching the two lackeys, the heroes fought their way to the Lich King who was prevailing in his fight against Jaina (Or Sylvanas). With their magic, the heroes temporarily held off the Dark Lord and fled down the frozen corridors. The Lich King gave chase, intending to destroy them all. At the end of the tunnel, a dead-end awaited. However, just before the fight could resume, the airship that had transported the heroes arrived, blasted the fortress and sealed off the tunnel, injuring the Lich King but failing to actually kill him. As the assault progressed, the heroes learned that Bolvar Fordragon, the Highlord of the Valiance expedition was still alive. After his capture, the lord of the Scourge attempted to corrupt him, to no avail. Despite all of his power, all of his cunning, the Lich King failed to break Bolvar's indomitable will. Meanwhile, the as the heroes approached the Spire, the doors opened to reveal the Deathbringer: Dranosh Saurfang, the other Wrathgate commander, who was raised in undeath by the Lich King, and now had become Arhas' most powerful champion. Rather than facing the commanders, the Deathbringer incapacitated them and instead fights the adventurers who accompanied them onboard their gunships. After a grueling battle, Deathbringer Saurfang fell and in a surpring yet fortunate twist, Varian Wrynn, mighty King of Stormwind allowed Horde leader Varok Saurfang to take the body of his only son, stating that the young Orc had died a heroes death, and therefore deserved a heroes' burial. Not long after this, the adventurers progressed into the plagueworks, where the vile concoctions and diseases that fueled the Scourge's armies were produced. The mad doctor, Professor Putricide was slain along with his two greatest creations: Festergut and Rotface. Following that, the attack against the Blood Halls began- and it ended with the deaths of the Blood Queen, Lana'thel, and all of the Blood Princes of her council. The only remaining forces that stood against the heroes and their ultimate enemy were Valithria Dreamwalker, a captured Green dragon, and the undead Dragon Sindragosa. Valithria was soon freed, while Sindragosa was at last lain to rest when she was defeated. By the end of the bloody battle, all of the remaining defenders of the citadel were slain. Only the Lich King remained, and with his death, would come the end of the Scourge... The Final Battle Tirion Fordring led his champions to the foot of the Frozen Throne, where he challenged the Lich King to one final duel to decide the fate of the world. With that, the Lich King used the power of frost to trap Fordring in a block of ice while he dueled with the heroes. A long and grueling battle followed- While Arthas was strong and relentless he also was fast and sly, and there were other ways to fight that did not involve his expert swordplay: Chunks of ice, blasts of blood-energy and poxes and filth from unholy were all displayed with awesomely destructive power. Dozens of vile spirits and Val'kyr shadow guards were summoned to fight beside their master, until at last the Lich King's strength reached but a fraction of its former fill. At that point, Arthas dropped his charade and used a powerful spell that neutralized all of the heroes simultaneously. Laughing, he dismissed their efforts to kill him and stated that he had intended for his minions to die all along, that the heroes might gain enough power to become the new champions of the Scourge. Turning away from Fordring, the Lich King prepared a spell that would raise the fallen adventurers and create a new army of undead to destroy his enemies. It was not to be. Tirion called upon the full power of the Light, asking for the strength to free himself. Then, with that the ice-block was broken. Glowing with awe and the full power of the light, Tirion jumped forward and with one mighty blow, utterly shattered Frostmourne- This single act forever broke Arthas' power, and sealed his fate. The souls of all the departed whose lives had been taken by the evil weapon were freed at last. King Terenas Menethil Arthas' father called upon the Light to raise the fallen heroes back at full strength. With renewed vigor, the adventurers struck and finally ended the threat of the Lich King. As he lay dying, Arthas' power faded and his father comforted the fallen King with gentle compassion and forgiveness. Arthas' final words were claiming that he saw only darkness. Terenas, shortly before departing declared the Scourge needed a new master to keep it in check- lest it destroy the world. Before Tirion could take up the Helm of Domination, Bolvar called out to his old friend from the Frozen Throne. Horrifically burned by the Dragonfire at the Wrathgate, the fallen Highlord declared there was no place for him left in the world of the living. After a moment's hesitation, Tirion obliged to Bolvar's request that the heroes never tell the rest of the world what happened, and placed the Helm upon Bolvar's head. With that, the new Lich King was born and subsequently interred once more into the Frozen Throne. Bolvar announced that the people of the world be told only that the Lich King had died, and that Bolvar himself had died with him. He then made the request that Tirion leave and never return. Aftermath With the death of Arthas, the shattering of Frostmourne and the elimination of the entirety of the Scourge's command structure, the undead soon were contained within Northrend as Bolvar took control as the self-appointed 'Jailor of the damned'. In the ensuing weeks, many of the Scourge's remaining armies were destroyed, its holdings across the world shrinking in size and strength until it eventually became but a shadow of its former self. In addition, Bolvar's immensely strong will and utmost devotion to good meant that he would never fall prey to corruption and that he would contain the Scourge until it was destroyed utterly. By the time that the Cataclysm had fully erupted, what few Undead remained had either been wiped out, or subsumed into the Legion or the Forsaken. Category:Wars Category:Events Category:Articles by Sir-Nicholas